Skip to main
Communication & Marketing students in studio

Communication & Cinema Department

Overview

Communication is the means by which individuals form their identities, and interact to create and interpret verbal, nonverbal and visual meaning in the world around them.

McDaniel Cinema is preparing the next wave of world-changing communicators with unique perspectives, creative thinking and bold, visual storytelling.

Request Information

Tell us a little about yourself and we'll share updates & information. (We'll also make sure you don't miss any important deadlines.)

Request More Info

Majors, Minors & Specializations

Cinema Major

A holistic, craft-based approach to writing, critical analysis and production that reflects the goal of McDaniel Cinema: Solid stories, smartly told.  

Communication Major

For students who want to know more about how humans tell stories, share news, and try to change each other’s minds.

Cinema Minor

A foundation of visual storytelling that provides a current, dynamic complement to a variety of majors.

Communication Minor

An exploration of the ways we create identity, interact with each other, and interpret the world around us.

Professor Erin Watley at the Second Annual Academic Symposium

McDaniel College alumni Jim Wilberger, Jonathan Slade and Tricia Meola

Hollywood Producer Jim Wilberger '72 receives highest alumni honor Alumni Success

Jim Wilberger, who is currently executive producer of Hallmark Crown Media and has more than 101 producing credits for movies, mini-series, and television movies, received the Trustee Alumni Award, the highest alumni honor given at McDaniel. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts in 1972 and regularly hosts McDaniel students in Los Angeles for film internships, assists the McDaniel Cinema Department with mentoring programs for current students, speaks on campus, and donates instructional materials to the department.

Faith Young

Cinema major earns prestigious national ‘Star Trek’ internship Internship Experiences

Cinema major Faith Young of Takoma Park, Md., has been selected as one of two fellows for the inaugural year of the national “Star Trek” Command Training Program in Los Angeles. This brand-new internship, hosted by the Television Academy Foundation in partnership with CBS Television Studios, was open to undergraduate and graduate college students nationwide and launched in 2020 to promote core values of the “Star Trek Universe.”

Headshot of Jackie White

Class of 2019: Jackie White Student Spotlight

English major Jackie White discovered a new passion for Cinema to go with her lifelong love of the English language and literature. TV Production class is her best class ever — she learned how to run almost every position in a television news station as well as teamwork and adaptability.

Cinema professor Jonathan Slade wins Emmy award for documentary

Cinema professor wins Emmy award for documentary

Jonathan Slade '88, professor of Communication & Cinema, received his seventh Emmy award for his two-hour 2019 documentary, “Made Possible By Viewers Like You: 50 Years of Maryland Public Television” at the 62nd National Capital Chesapeake Bay ceremony on Aug. 8. The program, which debuted on Maryland Public Television in August 2019, won for outstanding arts/entertainment special during the virtual event in Washington, D.C. 

Read "Cinema professor wins Emmy award for documentary"

Connect With Us

Erin Watley

Associate Professor of Communication & Cinema and Department Chair

McDaniel College
2 College Hill
Westminster, MD, 21157
© McDaniel College All Rights Reserved